Tuesday, 1 November 2016

Jammu Kashmir acceded to India on 26 October 1947. Period.

Vivek
Sinha

twitter: @viveksinha28

Quite often when a product has shortcomings its
manufacturer resorts to deceptive marketing. It creates a smoke screen over the
product’s limitations and marketing managers take it further by confusing and
corrupting the minds of gullible people into believing that the product is not
flawed, rather it is fabulous. That this is a common practice for corporations
and businessmen is known, what is unknown is the fact that even historical
events are subject to such devious designs.

While this may sound strange, a look at the recent
propaganda on Jammu Kashmir confirms this belief. The state has been a victim
of countless propaganda yet the recent efforts are subtle and have the ability
to confuse all and sundry.

It is a historical fact that the erstwhile princely
state of Jammu Kashmir acceded to India on 26October, 1947.

Yet, in the month of August this year, Congress
Parliamentarian Dr Karan Singh said that Jammu Kashmir acceded to India on 27October 1947.

“….the day my father (Maharaja Hari
Singh) signed the Instrument of Accession it (Jammu & Kashmir) became an
integral part of India there is no doubt about it. 27th October I
was in the room I was in the house when the Accession was signed…,”Dr Karan
Singh said during a debate in Rajya Sabha. Dr Singh further said: “…he
(Maharaja Hari Singh) signed the same Instrument of Accession that all the
other Princely States signed. But, all the other Princely States subsequently
“Merged” Jammu & Kashmir did not “Merge”

Apart from being a Congress politician, Dr Karan
Singh is the son of Maharaja Hari Singh, had been the regent of Jammu Kashmir,
served as the state’s Governor and has been actively involved in the matters of
Jammu Kashmir.

In a cursory look, Dr Karan Singh’s statement appear
benign and well intentioned. It is only after the surface is scratched that the
real and devious intentions become clear. Maharaja Hari Singh signed the
Instrument of Accession on 26October 1947 and NOT (emphasis added) on 27October 1947 as has been
stated by Dr Karan Singh in his speech in the Rajya Sabha.

“…
I Shriman Inder Mahinder Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Shri Hari Singh ji, Jammu
& Kashmir Naresh Tatha Tibbet adi Deshadhipati, Ruler of Jammu &
Kashmir State, in the exercise of my Sovereignty in and over my said State do
hereby execute this my Instrument of Accession…. under my hand this 26th
day of October, nineteen hundred and forty seven.”

This text is quoted from the original Instrument of
Accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh and it clearly mentions the signing date:
Twenty Sixth October Nineteen Hundred and Forty Seven.

Further, all Princely States became part of the
Indian Union by signing the same Instrument of Accession and there was NO (emphasis added) “Merger Document”
that needed to be signed by any of the erstwhile Princely State. In fact, Dr
Karan Singh has himself conceded that his father Maharaja Hari Singh had signed
the same Instrument of Accession and yet he goes on to state that the State of
Jammu Kashmir did not “merge”.

Dr Karan Singh being the son of Maharaja Hari Singh
is well aware about the exact date of Jammu Kashmir’s accession to India. This
is not an innocent slip of the tongue rather a carefully crafted strategy,
especially since efforts are being made by columnists, journalists and other
opinion makers to establish 27 October as the date of accession.

The big question is why a concerted effort is being
made to establish 27 October as the date of accession when it is a historical
fact that Jammu Kashmir acceded on 26October 1947.

A closer scrutiny of the sequence of events that led
to the accession of Jammu Kashmir reveals subtle details. And a review of
historical context in the run-up to partition is worth recounting to understand
this nefarious design.

At the time of partition the Princely States had the
option of joining either of the two dominions -- India or Pakistan. An
Instrument of Accession was prepared wherein the Head/Maharaja/Ruler of a
Princely State would sign and accede to either India or Pakistan.

Once the head of a Princely State signed on the
Instrument of Accession it was deemed to be final and that particular state was
considered to have become a part of that dominion. The most important fact to
note is that after the Instrument of Accession was signed on a specific date
nobody had the power to refuse or renege upon the accession. Neither the
British Queen nor her representative Lord Mountbatten had any role about that
Princely State’s accession.

Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of
Accession on 26 October 1947 and on 27 October 1947 Lord Mountbatten made a
file entry about it.

Mountbatten’s counter signature and “acceptance” of
Hari Singh’s signed Instrument of Accession was merely a file noting.
Mountbatten did write: “I do hereby accept this Instrument of Accession. Dated
this twenty seventh day of October, nineteen hundred and forty seven.” In
reality this was merely a type of recording that Mountbatten had made about
Maharaja Hari Singh’s Instrument of Accession. His counter-signature had no
legal basis nor was it mandatory.

It’s important to understand the real significance
of 27 October 1947 and why is this date being stressed upon as the ‘date of
accession’. When on 26October 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh signed the
Instrument of Accession, the Princely State of Jammu Kashmir became Indian
Territory and defending Jammu Kashmir’s frontiers became India’s right. It was
due to this authority that the Indian Army reached Jammu Kashmir on 27 October
1947.

The Pakistani Army had attacked Jammu Kashmir on 22
October 1947 and they were creating havoc across Jammu Kashmir. The Pakistani
Army was killing people, looting properties and raping hapless women.
Pakistan’s attack came in violation of its Standstill Agreement with Maharaja
Hari Singh wherein Pakistan had clearly said that it agrees to continue with
the existing arrangements with Jammu Kashmir until a final settlement is
reached. Yet, Pakistan did not wait for a final settlement and instead invaded
Jammu Kashmir on 22October 1947. After Jammu Kashmir’s accession on
26 October the Indian Army took it upon itself to drive away the invading
Pakistani Army.

The likes of Dr Karan Singh are well aware of the
sequence of events. And they also know that if they have to “sell” the “Kashmir
dispute” it needs to be marketed well. This can only be done if confusion and
doubts are created about the legality of state’s accession and so they have
unleashed a malicious campaign to project 27 October 1947 as the date of
accession of Jammu Kashmir.

And what better way to cement this confusion than to
say that Maharaja Hari Singh signed the accession under coercion of the Indian
Army. This can be done by first establishing the date of accession as 27
October 1947 and later on creating an uproar that since Indian Army had reached
Jammu Kashmir on October 27 so it was the Indian Army that bullied Maharaja
Hari Singh into signing the Instrument of Accession.

A coterie of historians further these untruths about
Kashmir and “market” this “Kashmir dispute”.

The only way to correct the discourse on Jammu
Kashmir is to counter this malicious propaganda though hard facts. A beginning
can be made by remembering that Jammu Kashmir acceded to India on 26 October
1947.

About Me

Vivek Sinha is a New Delhi-based Journalist and Columnist who has been writing News Commentaries for over a decade. Over the last several years he has written news reports for leading publications of India such as Hindustan Times, The Times of India, Deccan Chronicle and The Asian Age. At present Vivek is finishing his first novel that touches upon several issues of Islam. Apart from writing, Vivek is also passionate about Films and Documentaries. He has made several Short-Films and Documentaries. His latest Documentary is on the 2013 Muslim-Hindu riots at Muzaffarnagar.